I don't think Holland even has distinct "commuter rail" services such as the German S-Bahns. Cities are close together and I think service on most routes is very frequent, usually on easily memorized schedules at regular intervals.

jtbell wrote:I don't think Holland even has distinct "commuter rail" services such as the German S-Bahns. Cities are close together and I think service on most routes is very frequent, usually on easily memorized schedules at regular intervals.

Why shouldn't local stoptreins in Dutch lingo be considered commuter trains in Holland?
Per http://goeurope.about.com/cs/holland/l/ ... nd_map.htm, Holland has three classes of trains. They are the Intercity,which offers fast city-to-city connections, the Sneltrein, which a hybrid between a Stoptrein and Intercity. and lastly, the Stoptrein which makes more frequent stops at the smaller stations. The distinction between Intercity and Sneltrein is becoming smaller every year.
The map below shows the various intercity rail routes in Holland.

The most common rail vehicle used in Holland for Intercity and Sneltrein is the DD-IRM or Regionrunner.
The most common rail vehicle used in Holland for Stopteins is the Stadler GTW.

Few Stoptreins leave the providences they operate in, although some reach into neighboring providences. Most Intercity and Sneltreins travel across several providences......

Taking southern California as an example for comparison purposed, the Amtrak's Coast Starlight, Sunset Limited, and Southwest Chief matches the intercity trains, Amtrak's Surfliner matches the Sneltrein, while the Metrolink, Coaster and Sprinter matches the stoptrein.

Doesn't that commuter rail list include Metrolink, Coaster, and Sprinter?